When do you think (unlimited) cable or DSL internet services will be available in Lebanon (for a decent price)?

In 2003, there are no serious fast internet connexions available in Lebanon. What is the reason for this? Is it economical, political or what?

In Beirut, some offices can afford a little better connexions, but there are no CABLE or ADLS internet providers (ISP) in Lebanon, yet. Also, modem connexions are more expensive than in the USA or Europe. Computer parts are also more expensive due to the small size of the Lebanese market...

Time is running fast outside... Things are being developed... For some people this is a big issue.

Last edited by admin on Wed Oct 24, 2007 1:58 am, edited 10 times in total.

As for the ADSL broadband project, the director-general at the Telecommunications Ministry, Naji Andraos, told The Daily Star that two internet nodes are currently being built to boost Lebanon’s bandwidth from an estimated 72 to 152 mega bits per second.

A fast Internet service through SATELLITE started in Spring 2003. They asked for $50 to $100 for installation and for less then $50/month. It kept being postponed, and then it was finally launched one day in April or May.

It worked very well for... 2 days! and then it suddenly closed. With no warning and no clear reason... It had to call myself to ask and they just told me: "Oh you didn't know?... They stopped it!"...

I don't have serious info about this story... Only vague rumors that contradict each other.

1/ Some people told me it was the President Lahoud who refused to give a licence to anyone for many years on purpose (!) so he could keep it for his son (!)... And then this project was finally launched by the son. And P. Minister Hariri stopped it because he is jalous (!)... Is this possible?

2/ Some other people said it is the Syrians who don't like the idea of affordable Fast Internet for everybody because this would be too much freedom...

3/ Another source said it is the State of Lebanon who wants the Lebanese to keep using the regular phone lines, so that the money keeps going to the Telecom State Company, instead of giving up licences to private companies.

5- Common Sense, IQ and EI of lebanese vs Westerns
Lebanese wins by far over westerns

Now, this is my own opinion after living most of my life in lebanon, made travels to few westerns countries and living since 2 years in France.
I am ready to go in details with anyone wishing to learn more about the realities of the west rather how the media represents the west for us.

Now, why to hell, if we lebanese has so much mind and culture advancement are way back as a nation from the westerns?
Simple! it is due to our high level, the masterminds who control the west wished and decided that our country suffer continous wars: economical as well as political. All public figures since 1943 did the job directly and indirectly for the western powers; of course, keeping westerns in ignorance by providing them money without working, offering them absolute freedom as to eat, drink, have a house and have sex.

Why lebanon does not have neither ADSL nor Cable:
- ADSL and Cable if governed as shitty as lebanon is governed by all respective (not respectful) lebanese governments will make the country and the pockets of the governers loose money, lots of money coz ADSL and Cable will allow having a lot of IT technology without passing by lebanese public services.
- Information cannot be tracked
- in 1994, lebanon was supposed to be the center of telecommunication of the ME (apart Isreal) but the project shifted to syria by international orders.

- Dial up connexions though ISP like terranet or cyberia (very very slow, even when it says 56, it is more like 4...)

- 'Illegal' cables (about 50$ for installation, and 40 to 50 per months). They usually use satellite connexions to download, and a local ISP for the upload. It can be very slow sometimes but at least it is permanent...

- Fast connexion (usally through sattelite). This costs about 300 to 500$ per month... for a speed like about 128... When in Europe, they now offer a speed of 1000 for less than $40 per month...

In these conditions, no wonder the Lebanese web is very poor. People use emails, they chat alot also, they search for informations... Of course, there is no real Lebanese online market and nothing serious will ever happen if it stays like this.

This is very sad. Fast internet access for a cheap price should be a priority in Lebanon. It should have been a prority, 10 years ago, a much higher priority than to rebuild the Centre-Ville for example. Many underdeveloped and Third World countries understood this already.

The planned local Internet node in Lebanon is set to reinvigorate the market.

With an initial planned capacity of 90 mbps, the Internet node will enhance the total country's bandwidth, allow for local exchange of traffic between ISPs and set the stage for launch of broadband ADSL service later this year. The Arab Advisors Group projects Lebanon's total country bandwidth to reach 344 mbps by 2007.

In Lebanon, only Ogero, the monopoly fixed services operator, can provide International Internet bandwidth to ISPs. Nevertheless, a lack of sufficient Internet bandwidth capacity has caused the ISPs to utilize private Internet download connections via satellite operators. To remove the incentive of these connections and regain revenues, Ogero is moving ahead with plans to establish an Internet node that will pool the ISPs' bandwidth requirements and provide them with their required symmetrical bandwidth at lower rates, which will enable them to offer their subscribers higher quality connections. The tender for supplying the Internet node with international bandwidth is already in process and is expected to be finalized by summer 2003.

A new comprehensive country report, "Lebanon Internet and Datacomm Landscape Report 2003." was released to the Arab Advisors Group's (www.arabadvisors.com) Strategic Research Service subscribers on May 4, 2003. The 52-pages report fully analyses the Lebanese Internet, datacomm and content market and provides five-year forecasts of more than 40 Demographic, Economic and Infrastructure indicators. It also fully analyses all the major datacomm and Internet operators in the country and the equipment vendors' competitive landscape. This comprehensive report can be purchased from Arab Advisors Group for only US$ 750. Any investment in this report will count towards a Strategic Research Service subscription should the service be acquired within three months from purchasing the report.

"Internet figures in Lebanon are quite impressive by regional standards. The subscriber base was 150,000 by end of the year 2002 -corresponding to an estimated user base of around 450,000, a user penetration of more than 11.8%." Arab Advisors Group's senior research analyst, Sami Sunna', wrote in the report. "The Internet node is planned to have a total bandwidth capacity of 90 Mbps (two nodes with a capacity of 45 Mbps each via fiber optic links) and will cater for all of the incumbent ISPs in Lebanon and interconnect them locally. The upgrade in the total Internet bandwidth will allow for the future growth in broadband Internet services. In fact, the upgrade will allow leading ISPs to provide broadband services such as the high-bandwidth ADSL service that Ogero expects to start rolling out in Lebanon by end of year 2003. This will reinvigorate the ISP business and raise Internet access revenues to more than US$ 64 million in 2007 up from less than US$ 33 million in 2002" Mr. Sunna' added.

On the datacomm front, The Lebanese Ministry Of Telecommunications provided a number of fixed wireless network licenses to a number of operators for a validity period of 5-6 years during the late 90's. This means that fixed infrastructure-based competition was allowed by the MOT through wireless networks: Private operators are already allowed to compete with the fixed line operator (Ogero) in non-voice services although they are limited to using wireless technologies. Companies requiring copper or FO based leased lines and connectivity still have to purchase it from the fixed services operator.

Source: ArabAdvisors.com

Last edited by admin on Sun Jun 04, 2006 12:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

hey every1, DSL is really new to lebanon, however DSL should have arrival in Lebaon before 5 years, REALLY IT"S TRUE, the 1 single only thing that didn't allow DSL to be in LEBANON is the syrian troopes that withdrawed from Lebanon before a year ago, so now Lebanon is more free than before, and nwere things will come, DSL will range fromm 128kb/s, 256kb/s, 512kb/s, 1.0mb/s and finaly 2.0m/s, now i'm not sure about the prices, but i hope it'l not be more than 50$ for 512kb/s, but the price will decrease in time cause the compaines will have more people, which means more money and they'll decrease the price.. so i'm expecting DSL WILL ARRIVE in the beginning of april. and HOPEFULLY it's be out in all of LEBANON.. god willing... but PLEASE IF ANYONE KNOWS WHEN DSL WILL ARRIVE TO LEBANON EXACTLY PLEASE EMIAL ME or REPLY!!